Letter to the Editor: Illegal immigrants cost Americans

By VICKI MARTINClearfield

Dear Editor,

The minimum wage in Mexico is $3.85 daily; maquiladora factory workers earn $6 daily. American dollars from "menial labor" exchange into college trained professional salaries in pesos. The $20 billion sent home to Mexico this year is Mexico's largest source of foreign income.

Unscrupulous American bosses hire illegals "off books" and save $35 billion yearly in unpaid payroll taxes plus savings from cheaper wages. Americans are fired/not hired in favor of illegals yet must pay $100 billion taxes for social services for illegal immigrants. Incarcerations alone this year will cost over $35 billion for the 30 percent of prison population here illegally. American victims must pay their own funeral, medical, etc. victimization bills.

ICE has mere lip service to enforcing employer sanctions of the 1986 amnesty. Lehi contractor Joseph Cruddy had 19 complaints to Utah's labor board that he didn't pay his illegals; then one killed him and we taxpayers will pay $23,000 yearly to keep Jesus Hernandez in prison for decades to come.

Carolinian Rep. Sue Myrick has a bill to up sanctions from $250 per incident to $10,000 per incident with local law enforcement getting a percentage. Utah's representatives need to co-sponsor this valuable bill addressing a critical need.